A starfish on the Kenyan plains

There’s a famous anecdote about a little girl who walked along a beach after a storm, tossing stranded starfish back into the safety of the ocean. When asked why she bothered when there were thousands of starfish, she replied, “I made a difference to that one.” Last week, I told you about how women and… Continue reading A starfish on the Kenyan plains

Imagine eyelashes scratching like a metal brush

Trachoma is the world’s leading cause of preventable blindness. I have seen people suffering from it in developing countries like Kenya and Zambia, where it is the most common and widespread eye health issue. An agonizing disease borne of a lack of clean water and poor sanitation, trachoma causes permanent blindness if left untreated. The… Continue reading Imagine eyelashes scratching like a metal brush

Frontline workers reach remote patients in Africa (Part 1 of 2)

When medical personnel are scarce and rural populations are sparse, it’s time to get creative. Basic eye care is a significant problem in many parts of Africa; in fact, sub-Saharan Africa has one of the highest rates of visual impairment and blindness in the world. Poverty, disease and lack of access to eye care all… Continue reading Frontline workers reach remote patients in Africa (Part 1 of 2)